Marlins playing their best baseball in September

Club has won five consecutive series for the first time this season

By
Jacob EmertMLB.com

WASHINGTON -- Dan Jennings and his Miami Marlins have no false perceptions of where this 2015 season is going. Sitting more than 20 games back in the National League East as they commence a four-game series in Washington on Thursday, there will be no meaningful October baseball in Miami.

WASHINGTON -- Dan Jennings and his Miami Marlins have no false perceptions of where this 2015 season is going. Sitting more than 20 games back in the National League East as they commence a four-game series in Washington on Thursday, there will be no meaningful October baseball in Miami.

"[They're] playing the game the right way," Jennings said. "First and foremost, they're having fun. The fact that they're coming to the ballpark, [and] the pride factor that they're showing, I think that speaks volumes. ... We're doing the small things that allow for big innings that earlier in the season we were not able to do that."

Miami is 10-4 to open September, its best start to a month this season. It has won five consecutive series for the first time in 2015, all without star slugger Giancarlo Stanton and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.

"I think it's a comfort level, I think it's the health level of guys that are in there right now and it's the experience," Jennings said. "A lot of these guys, you can't forget, are in the zero-to-three-years service time frame. As they get familiar with pitchers in the league, they're going to get better."

The Marlins are 8-7 against the Nationals this season, and another successful series against the divisional opponent would likely spell the end of Washington's postseasons hopes. Any combination of Nationals losses and Mets wins that add up to 10 will officially eliminate Washington from the playoffs.

Jennings, though, isn't concerned with that.

"I'm worried about one team, and that's the Miami Marlins," he said. "The thing that I'm so proud of is we're playing 162 [games]. We know we're not in the postseason, and it's easy to fold it if you're made that way. These guys are not made that way. They come every night to do battle, and we've done that. We're playing some of our best baseball of the year right now. I think it talks to the leadership in the clubhouse and truly the character of the players in that clubhouse."